Before & After: A 100-Year-Old Farmhouse Freshens Up

When a couple with two sons purchased this 100-year-old New Jersey farmhouse, they knew it would make the perfect family home — with a little bit of TLC. Some of its less charming features: knotty pine paneling all over, a drop ceiling in the living room, dark cabinets and a non-working fireplace in the kitchen, and a master bedroom with a ceiling barely 7 feet high.

To transform their home, they turned to architect Andrew Mikhael, who they found through The Sweeten, a resource that connects New York-area homeowners with architects, designers, and contractors. Mikhael masterminded a full-house gut remodel, including rearranging some of the elements of the floor plan to suit a modern family.

Throughout the house, vinyl floors were replaced with wood, finished to match the original wood floors. In the living room, light blue walls and new built-ins make the room lighter and airier. The kitchen was completely gutted and the fireplace removed. The window seen in the 'before' pictures was replaced with a sliding door to the backyard, connecting indoors and out, and new white cabinets and subway tile echo the lightness of the living room.

The most dramatic transformation, though, was reserved for the master bedroom, where the ceiling was raised a full foot and a half -- just enough for a chandelier.

To see more photos and read more about the project, visit the project page on The Sweeten. You can also check out The Sweeten for even more before and afters.